All aboard!!!
The inside of the train was packed with memorabilia that you could pick up and touch.
These pieces of track were SO heavy that we couldn't lift them off the table...
Can you imagine rumbling through the countryside on one of these trains back in the 1800's?
After checking out the inside of the train we looked for the cache. Based on where I'm sitting you can probably guess about where it was hidden. I can honestly say that I've never seen a train from that perspective before.
Afterwards we went inside the Depot Museum.
It was a train lovers dream! Inside it was divided into 3 separate rooms and each was crammed from floor to ceiling with everything and anything that had to do with trains. I think Chablis was flirting with this young man.....
The telegraph equipment was all set up and a tape was playing of an actual coded message. Honestly, how did they determine the difference between a dot and a dash? It all sounds like a bunch of tap, tap, taps to me!
The trains that served meals each had their own special silverware. It was interesting to see the prices on the menu's from back then....
There were cases upon cases of all kinds of stuff. Everything was very organized and well displayed.
They also had 9 working trains set up in different displays, complete with landscapes depicting different areas and towns in Illinois. The trains ranged from very small models.....
To the largest model (called a G-scale model) which ran around the ceiling through 2 of the rooms....
They also had information on the Winston Tunnel. Now abandoned and closed off, in its heyday it was the longest Illinois railway tunnel at 2493 ft.
We really enjoyed touring the Depot and the Train. The gentleman inside the Depot really liked his job and took his time walking around with us, running all the trains and giving us lots of information.
If you're interested in trains, then you should stop here if you're ever in the area. It's located in Elizabeth, Illinois.
Join me tomorrow as we continue our journey through Galena and across the Mississippi into Dubuque, Iowa.
